Excel as a treatment for BBA? Experiences?

[m.lemay]

Day 8: All the bba fuzz(brush is gone) ,whats left of the bba now looks like green spot on the edges of the affected leaves. I got 4 more days days to go for a total of 12 days, I might go 2 more days for a total of 14 days of treatment.

For anyone thats interested heres how much Excel I've been dosing: 50ml/75gal everyday, which amounts to 6.6ml/10gals.

Marcel

[Jim]

I'm on day four of an Excel overdose treatment for BBA, spot and green algae. It's definitely working (on all three types). Unfortunately, some of my discus appear stressed (loss of appetite, lethargic, fin clamping). Earlier this week, I thought these signs may be attributed to a bacterial infection of some sort with the fish, so I separated three discus into a hospital tank and have been treating them. The Furan-2 medication I'm using doesn't seem to be helping much. At this point, they aren't really showing signs of infection, just stress. I'm attributing it to the Excel overdosing, rather than a true bacterial infection. To be on the safe side, I'm going to stop the Excel treatments and see if things improve.

So...the excel definitely works, but I think it's really important to monitor how your fish are handling it during the treatments.

[m.lemay]

Day 12: All the algae is pretty much gone except for some green spot on glass. I can deal with green spot on glass, scrape at water change, easy. I will however continue treatment for 2 more days. As per above, make sure you turn off your UV if you have one.

This treatment works, no doubt about it, and the plants didn't suffer because of it.

Now I need to make a decision as to wether or not I should continue small maintenance doses(as per directions on bottle) to keep my tank algae free.

Marcel

[aquatic-store.com]

I had some of my cherries die about 50 of them using 3x the rec dosage to get rid of hair algae. Some of the younger ones survived the older ones all died

Originally Posted by cobra

Is Flourish excel dosed at two to three times the regular amount harmful to shrimps?

G

[GTApuffgal]

Well, I am picking up some Excel today. My CO2 was down for 3 days and I have BBA...

Marcel, thanks for the dosing info! Just one question - is that daily?

I'll let you know how it goes!

[Momotaro]

Now I need to make a decision as to wether or not I should continue small maintenance doses(as per directions on bottle) to keep my tank algae free

I have done the maintenance dosage and see no ill effects. I just dose the recommended amount for the 75G three times a week. With the higher CO2 level, algae is pretty much at bay, so it is hard to tell if the Excel is actually doing anything.

The Excel will help out GTApuffgal, but the treatment seems to work best in conjunction with CO2 injection.

To answer the question for Marcel, you will need to dose the Excel daily for a period of 10-14 days.

Mike

[PeteyPob]

I have been dosing about 3x the required amount for about 2 weeks. I still have some of the rocky BBA on my sword thats pretty stubborn and some of the bushy BBA on one of my driftwoods. Although its still there It hasnt grown much and is pretty much in check. With my KH @12 and pH @6.9 with co2 I plan on dosing the recommened amount until I finish the bottle.

[GTApuffgal]

IT'S TURNING RED ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

Lovin' Excel right about now...

[pk-sd]

Originally Posted by GTApuffgal

IT'S TURNING RED ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

Lovin' Excel right about now...

Wow ! only in three days. I am waiting for my shipment of excel which will arrive on Wednesday. Just cant find most of the Flourish stuff locally.

PK

[GTApuffgal]

Originally Posted by pk-sd

Wow ! only in three days. I am waiting for my shipment of excel which will arrive on Wednesday. Just cant find most of the Flourish stuff locally.

PK

I was really surprised when the lights came on this morning and I noticed it. All evidence to the contrary, it just seemed to good to be true! It's wonderful to know it is really really working!

[donkey]

think i need to get some Flourish soon it seems to work for you guys

[Momotaro]

think i need to get some Flourish soon it seems to work for you guys

Flourish Excel, donkey!

Mike

[donkey]

will it kill other algae as well ?

[plantbrain]

Originally Posted by Curare

However in the case of cyanobacteria, it's nitrogen fixing so that no matter how much co2 you add, if you have no N for the plants to utilise, the cyanabacteria will bloom on the remaining unused nutrients.

Curare

No, the species of Oscillitoria we have does NOT fix N2 gas, it simply does not have too. There is plenty of NO3/NH4 around relative to their size and biomass. Plants need far more NO3/NH4 than BGA's.

I addressed this on the APD several years ago(4?) and elsewhere since.
Speculations and inaccurate use of references leads to myths.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[fester]

I was telling my LFS where I get my CO2 tank refilled about Excel and its
algeaside properties. He doesn't stock any Seachem products as he reckons they are way too expensive (over here in Oz anyway). Tried to talk me into some other brand of BBA killer. As BBA was getting a lot worse in my tank, gave the Excel a go. In about a week at double dose it had all gone! I couldn't believe just how effective it was.